Back-up warning signal for automotive vehicles



Feb. 5, 1963 M. KNUTSON 3,

BACK-UP WARNING SIGNAL. FOR AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES Filed Dec. 15, 1961 FIG-I A/ 4 ////7/ F622 l 3 FIG. 3 5 l2 I J z5h. 27

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INV EN TOR. Mann/1'1- Ifivurscw AT TO RNEYS United States Patent M3,076,960 BACK-UP WARNING SEGNAL FGR AUTG MO'I'EVE VEHECLES MerrittKnutson, Williston, N. Dalr. Filed Dec. 15, 1261, Ser- No. $9,498 2Claims. (Cl. 340-392) My invention relates to and provides a novelwarning signal for automotive vehicles having reversing mechanisms, andmore specifically is in the nature of an improvement upon the structureof my Patent No. 2,972,139 of February 14, 1961, entitled Back-UpWarning Signal for Automotive Vehicles.

Still more specifically, my invention relates to novel means forsubstantially reducing the wear between the limited moving parts,namely, between the bell striker and the cam means for imparting thebell striking movements to the striker.

The primary objects of my invention is the provision of a device of theclass immediately above described which incorporates but a minimum ofworking parts, is rugged and durable in construction, and may beproduced and sold at a minimum of cost.

The above and still further objects of my invention will become apparentfrom the following detailed specification, appended claims and attacheddrawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters indicate like partsthroughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a view in side elevation of a conventional motor truck havingmy novel warning apparatus attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a view in side elevation of my novel warning apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 3, some partsbeing broken away;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in perspective of a striker andoperating cam therefor; and

FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuit utilized in myinvention.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 1indicates in its entirety a mounting bracket adapted to be suitablysecured to the chassis of a conventional motor vehicle identified by theletter A. As shown, the bracket 1 comprises a generally C-shaped element2 formed from metal strap material or the like and having a verticallyextended portion 3 which is adapted to be secured to the vehicle A byany suitable means. A mounting plate 4 is welded or otherwise rigidlysecured to the extended upper and lower end portions 5, of the C-shapedbracket 2 in a vertical plane.

A conventional bell 7 is rigidly secured to the outer surface 8 of themounting plate 4 through the medium of a mounting post 9, the projectedouter end of which engages the center of the bell 7 and holds the samein spaced relation to the mounting plate 4, as shown particularly in MG.4. A striker Ill has one end pivotally secured as at 11 to the outersurface 8 of the mounting plate 4 Within the confines of the bell 7 forswinging movements of the free opposite end 12 thereof toward and awayfrom the inner peripheral surface 13 of the bell 7. A coil tensionspring 14- has one end anchored as at 15 remotely from the striker andhas its opposite end in engagement with the intermediate portion of thestriker 10 as indicated at 16, whereby to yieldingly bias tthe free end12 of the striker it away from striking engagement with the innerperipheral surface 13 of the bell 7.

For the purpose of imparting striking movements to 3,75,965 PatentedFeb. 5., 1963 the striker 10. I provide an electric motorv 17 which isrigidly secured to the inner face 18 of the mounting plate 4. The motor17 has a driveshaft 19 which projects through the mounting plate 4 andterminates in laterally outwardly spaced relation thereto. Fast on theprojected outer end of the drive shaft 19 is a tubular bushing 20 havinga shaft-receiving opening 21 which, as shown particularly in FIGS. 3 and5, is eccentric to the axis of said bushing 20.

Mounted on the bushing 20 is a roller contact bearing, identified in itsentirety by the numeral 22, and comprising an annular inner race 23 faston said bushing 20, an outer race 24 and roller elements, shown as beingin the nature of balls 25, interposed between the inner and outer races23, 24. As shown, the coil spring 14, in biasing the striker 10 awayfrom engagement with the peripheral inner wall 13 of the bell 7, biasesthe intermediate portion 26 thereof toward engagement with theperipheral outer surface of the outer race 24. Consequently, rotation ofthe motor drive shaft 19 with the eccentric bushing 20 thereonpositively forces the striker 10 toward the dotted line position of FIG.3 during each rotation wherein the enlarged free end 12 is in strikingengagement with the peripheral surface 13 of the hell 7. Obviously,because of the frictional engagement between the striker 10 and theouter peripheral surface 27 of the outer race 24, there will bepractically no rotation of said outer race 24- with respect to thestriker 10, this being due to the fact that there is practically noresistance afforded between the inner and outer race elements 23, 24.However, to even further reduce wear between these elements, Ipreferably rigidly secure to the intermediate portion 26 of the striker10 a wear-resistant plate 28 which as a transverse width substantiallyequal to the axial dimensions of the outer race 24 and which is adaptedto ride upon the outer peripheral surface 27 of the said outer race 24.Wearresistant plate 28 can be made from any suitable metal or othersubstance known to resist frictional wear.

My invention has been thoroughly tested and found to be completelysatisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects and while Ihave shown a preferred embodiment thereof, I wish it to be understoodthat same may be capable of modification without departure from thescope and spirit of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a mounting plate, a bell,anchoring means extending between said mounting plate and the centralportion of said bell and rigidly maintaining said bell in spacedoverlying relationship to said mounting plate, a striker for said bell,means pivotally securing one end of said striker to said mounting platewithin the confines of said bell for movements of the opposite endthereof toward and away from striking engagement with the internalperiphery of said bell, an electric motor, means securing said electricmotor to the opposite side of said mounting plate with its drive shaftprojecting therethrough, cam means on the projected end of said driveshaft and engageable with the intermediate portion of said striker tomove the free end thereof into bell striking engagement, spring meansyieldingly biasing said striker in a direction away from striking engagement with said bell, said mounting plate projecting laterally outwardlyin all directions from the perimeter of said bell, the upper end portionof said mounting plate defining a semi-cylindrical guard plate whichoverlies said bell in spaced concentric relationship to said bell andsubstantially covering said bell, said cam means comprising a rollingcontact bearing comprising inner and outer annular races and rollingelements between said races, said 4 enlarged wear-resistant platesecured to the intermediate portion of said striker and engageable withthe outer peripheral surface of said outer race, said Wear-resistantplate having a transverse Width corresponding approxi- 5 mately to theaxial dimension of said outer race.

No references cited.

1. IN A DEVICE OF THE CLASS DESCRIBED, A MOUNTING PLATE, A BELL,ANCHORING MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND THE CENTRALPORTION OF SAID BELL AND RIGIDLY MAINTAINING SAID BELL IN SPACEDOVERLYING RELATIONSHIP TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE, A STRIKER FOR SAID BELL,MEANS PIVOTALLY SECURING ONE END OF SAID STRIKER TO SAID MOUNTING PLATEWITHIN THE CONFINES OF SAID BELL FOR MOVEMENTS OF THE OPPOSITE ENDTHEREOF TOWARD AND AWAY FROM STRIKING ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERNALPERIPHERY OF SAID BELL, AN ELECTRIC MOTOR, MEANS SECURING SAID ELECTRICMOTOR TO THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID MOUNTING PLATE WITH ITS DRIVE SHAFTPROJECTING THERETHROUGH, CAM MEANS ON THE PROJECTED END OF SAID DRIVESHAFT AND ENGAGEABLE WITH THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID STRIKER TOMOVE THE FREE END THEREOF INTO BELL STRIKING ENGAGEMENT, SPRING MEANSYIELDING BIASING SAID STRIKER IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM STRIKINGENGAGEMENT WITH SAID BELL, SAID MOUNTING PLATE PROJECTING LATERALLYOUTWARDLY IN ALL DIRECTIONS FROM THE PERIMETER OF SAID BELL, THE UPPEREND PORTION OF SAID MOUNTING PLATE DEFINING A SEMI-CYLINDRICAL GUARDPLATE WHICH OVERLIES SAID BELL IN SPACED CONCENTRIC RELATIONSHIP TO SAIDBELL AND SUBSTANTIALLY COVERING SAID BELL, SAID CAM MEANS COMPRISING AROLLING CONTACT BEARING COMPRISING INNER AND OUTER ANNULAR RACES ANDROLLING ELEMENTS BETWEEN SAID RACES, SAID INNER RACE BEING MOUNTED ONSAID DRIVE SHAFT IN ECCENTRIC RELATIONSHIP TO THE AXIS THEREOF, SAIDOUTER RACE HAVING AN OUTER PERIPHERAL SURFACE OPERATIVELY ENGAGING SAIDSTRIKER.